TUCKED away behind the poolside waterfall of Hyatt Regency in Garapan is a nook that not everyone knows about, especially if you don’t venture beyond the swimming pool. The Splash Bar is located in between artistically carved boulders with superb views of the swimming pool and the waterfall.

I have been to this nook several times but last Saturday was the first time that I stayed and decided to try something from the menu.

I decided on the Reef Cooler from the cocktail list, a non-alcoholic cocktail made of fresh banana, orange, apple and pineapple juice which was served in a tall glass. I would have preferred coffee but despite the cold rainy day, the Reef Cooler was so refreshingly tempting. I sipped on it while waiting for my cheese burger which was served shortly, a grilled burger with melted Swiss cheese, a platter of French fries, pickles, tomatoes and onion. The burger was so big for me that I knew from the start I was only going to finish half of it. I took the other half home.

The bartenders at the Splash had their hands full with the constant stream of hungry customers, most of them dripping wet from a swim.

The Splash Menu includes a selection of salads, starters and sides, burgers from the grill, sandwiches, pizzas and desserts. Must-try items are the Thai chicken salad wrap, Splash burger, any of the pizzas and more. Burgers and sandwiches are served with fries, sweet potato chips or a side salad, and all below the $15 mark.

A selection of snacks are available for kids include grilled cheese, grilled ham and cheese, chicken nuggets, kid’s burger, chopped salad and peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The food selections at the Splash Bar include just your regular favorites but the ambiance is priceless. You can relax at the bar counter with a cold beer or a refreshing tropical cocktail as you watch a basketball game on the flat screen TV mounted on the wall, listen to the soothing sounds of the waterfall, or soak up the sun in one of the loungers at the poolside with your drink.

You can also have your orders delivered at any of the tables near the poolside. It’s one bar where no dress code exists, where the chairs are designed for wet diners. Although majority of their customers are hotel guests or pool users, anyone can walk in and order anything from the Splash Bar.

The Splash Bar is open from 10 a.m. to 5 .pm. everyday. Cards are accepted, and hotel guests can add orders to their room tabs. For more information please call the Hyatt at 234-1234 or visit http://www.saipan.regency.hyatt.com.

HOW do you know that the Italian pasta you are eating is genuinely Italian? With the emergence of thousands of restaurants in the world advertising Italian cuisine in their menu even without using Italian ingredients or preparing a certain dish the traditional Italian way, Hyatt Regency Saipan is inviting the community to get a real taste of authentic Italian cuisine.

In observance of the International Day of Italian Cuisine which is being celebrated by over 1,700 Virtual Group of Italian Chefs in over 70 countries in the world of which Colombo is a member, Giovanni’s is serving spaghetti al dente with tomato sauce and fresh basil, a simple but emblematic dish starting last Friday night and all the way to January 31, 2014.

For this special celebration, I got the rare chance to watch Hyatt Regency’s executive chef Gabriele Colombo whip up a special sample of the signature pasta for the next two weeks right inside Giovanni’s kitchen.

Watching Chef Colombo at the stove from start to finish was a feast to the eyes and the senses. I watched him through my camera lenses as he tossed the spaghetti, arranged them on warmed plates, and until when he sprinkled fresh basil leaves from the Hyatt gardens and finally grated a bit of cheese on top of the pasta.

Colombo said the authentic spaghetti al dente doesn’t have any meat but you won’t even know it. Cheese is not also included in the original recipe but some Italian families use it.

The spaghetti plates were served to our table a few minutes away, and it was hard to wait till we took photos of it before we dug into it. The spaghetti was a bit crispy, and the flavors of tomatoes and fresh basil blending well into the pasta.

We also shared a plate of Caesar salad and tasty bread sticks, as well as dishes from Giovanni’s regular menu—roasted Australian rack of lamb in thyme crust, artichoke and kalamata olives ragout. I split half of an order of medium rare Certified Angus Beef sirloin steak with Hyatt’s Luis Villagomez, knowing I could never finish one by myself.

Enjoy the soft, cozy ambiance of Giovanni’s Restaurant with its subdued lighting and glass walls that offer a spectacular view of the landscaped ponds and gardens outside. It’s one place you want to linger after dinner and relax.

We declined dessert but ordered a cup of the hotel’s famous Macchiato coffee. Don’t miss out on the remaining days and try authentic Italian spaghetti al dente with fresh tomatoes and basil only at Giovanni’s and learn to distinguish authentic from the counterfeit so the next time you go out to eat at restaurants labeled as Italian, you will know if you are being given the real thing or not.

Spaghetti al dente and other authentic Italian cuisine is available for dinner from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant. For inquiries or reservations, please call the Hyatt at 234-1234.

An impromptu lunch on Saturday led me and a buddy to the World Café at the Fiesta Resort & Spa on Saturday noon. The plan has always been there to try out the theme lunches at the World Café but somehow each time we plan to go it always never materializes.

It was just past 12 noon and a friendly wait staff took us to only available table at the center of the dining room. Not a very ideal spot for one who wants to observe the general lunch atmosphere but there was no choice.

We headed to the buffet section to check on what the American-Mexican theme has to offer. A chef was busy flipping burgers and rolling burritos with Mexican-inspired stuffing. I skipped the burritos and made myself a cheeseburger before heading to the section for main entrées. I skipped the noodles and the soup section for later, inhaling in the tantalizing aromas rising from the pots.

My buddy tried the Mexican favorites before loading a plate from the hot entrée section. Available were chafers of fried chicken, short-ribs in gravy, and a seafood medley with calamari, mussels, shrimp, and more. I only picked out a few items to sample since I was saving space in my stomach for something more.

The salad bar is one of the can’t-be-missed sections at the Café World. It is in a small enclosure with mirrors on the wall reflecting the simple yet appetizing items like chicken kelaguen, mixed greens with different seasonings, tomatoes, corn, cucumber slices, kimchi, pickles, salad, and fruits like watermelon, papaya and more.

The dessert section groans with a delectable array of cheesecake, fruit, pastries, a bread basket, fresh-baked desserts and more.

My buddy was not surprised when I lit up upon seeing the Halo-Halo section at the dessert bar. He knew at least more than half of my lunch will be from there, or more likely crushed ice and he was right. I made several trips to fill my glass with crushed ice and ate until my throat started sending signals to stop. World Café offers several choices of beverages like bottomless coffee, soda and more.

Lunch everyday is a different theme at the Café World but you can check out the ala carte menu to order your favorite food if you don’t fancy the theme lunches.

If you want to splurge, pick out any of the live lobster swimming in a cold aquarium just beside the salad bar and prepare for a real lobster treat.

The World Café offers diners a contemporary casual ambiance, with its rattan tables and seats adding to the comfortable aura. For some privacy, a section with glass walls facing the small pond is available but be sure to make reservations if you want to secure that spot.

If you are going to have the American-Mexican theme lunch on Saturday, or any of thelunch themes on any day, go on a hungry stomach to do justice to all the food. Stumbling in there in a half-asleep state will make you miss much, take it from me. The theme lunch costs $22 for each person, $18 for locals.

The World Café is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner is from 6 p.m. to 9:30 pm. For reservations and inquiries please call 234-7171 extension 1585 or call direct line 233-6414.

YOU can see the Gekka Teppanyaki Bar right across from the main restaurant near the poolside when you step into the lobby of the Mariana Resort & Spa in Marpi, its polished counter tops and comfortable chairs around the bar enticing one to come and explore the mouthwatering temptations in its menu. The Gekka Bar is dead in the daytime, but at 6 p.m. the lights go on and the bar springs to life. It was my first time to be at the Gekka on Saturday night, and my companion was convincing me to go for the BBQ Buffet.

I convinced him that we try the Gekka Teppanyaki & Bar when Marianas Resort & Spa when Executive Chef and 2013 Taste of the Marianas Chef’s Competition grand champion William C. Retardo stepped in with a brand new menu and it was not hard to give in.

On William’s recommendation, we started off with a hot appetizer—tofu steak mixed with mushroom and I got my fill taking photos and video clips as our appetizer was being prepared by Chef Jay Adarve.

I am not a big fan of tofu or mushrooms but it tasted so good the plate was clean after a few minutes. Chef Jay next prepared fresh prawns called Kuruma Eb Ougon Yaki on the grill— three large prawns which he grilled and glazed until they turned golden orange, and served with vegetable salad and half a slice of lemon. My companion almost finished all the prawns, while I dug into the salad. It was our second dish and I was already getting full. The best was yet to come. Our Sirloin Steak salad medium rare was next and again gloried in watching how it was prepared before it was all ready to eat.

Halfway into our steak, our seafood feast on a plate was served. Sumptuously arranged on a white platter was a colorful mix of fish slices, octopus, shrimps, prawn, mussels, and scallop with tomatoes, mushrooms and greens. This, too, we cleared off in a short time.

Try the other items in the hot appetizer section like the mixed sausage Sauerkraut, grilled duck sushi roll, scallop with mixed mushroom, spicy garlic shrimp and chicken wings teriyaki from $10 to $14 per order.

The cold appetizers menu includes new style salmon sashimi, beef carpaccio, prosciutto with fruits from $15 to $18 bracket.

Noodles and rice are also available like Yaki Udon, eel fried rice, garlic rice and steamed rice. Certified Angus Beef sirloin steak and tenderloin steaks are available in different sizes.

The highlight of the Gekka Teppanyaki Bar are the items in the Gekka Special Combo menu which includes the Chicken Wings Teriyaki and Baked Shrimp Combo, Angus Beef Sirloin Steak and Baked Shrimp combo, Scallop and Angus Beef Tenderloin combo, and the lobster tail and Angus Beef Sirloin Combo, all served with pickled vegetable, soup and rice.

The couple beside us ordered a live lobster and it was grilled fresh and live and served right out of the grill. It was stunning to watch chef Jay preparing eel fried rice like he was just playing, and before you know it, everything was ready and set.

Dig into the delights of homemade cake, sherbet and ice cream for $4 and fried

ice cream for $9 for dessert at the Gekka Teppanyaki Bar.

Cap your dinner with beer, whisky, wines, cocktail, no alcohol cocktail and soft drinks and juices from the beverage menu. Watching the chefs at the Gekka Teppanyaki and Bar expertly flipping, juggling, tossing and slicing ingredients mid-air with samurai-style knives is a feast to the senses. You smell the heavenly aroma wafting from the griddle making you anticipate your meal all the more. Everything at the Teppanyaki happens so fast but the memory of the food and the taste will linger not only in your mouth but in your memory, teasing your salivary glands and make you come back for more.

You can have dinner at any of the tables around the Teppanyaki if you want but the thrill of watching everything is at the counter. You can also bring your drinks and have it leisurely at the pool side as you watch island dancers and fire dancers perform during the weekends.

IF hunger pangs strike and you’re on Tinian, JC Café in San Jose village is your destination. JC Café is the local equivalent of “everybody’s second kitchen” and that’s where I and my companion headed to last Monday when we had an afternoon off.

We had been driving around the island for an hour or so and were getting hungrier and thirstier by the minute so we decided to head to JC Café for dinner. And that’s where we got lost.

Tinian is such a small island but if one considers my sense of direction below excellent, I’d rate my companion’s sense below sea level. We were driving from the dock and suddenly, I didn’t even have an idea where to turn. We ended up driving any visible road and ending in dead ends, backing out and going in circles until we asked someone the right directions, and got more confused. In a place with no proper street names, it always remains a mystery how one can follow directions like take the right turn three streets down, then left, and right and another right. Yeah, right. We ended up where we started but finally, our patience paid off and we saw JC Café’s brilliant lights from afar.

Hungry beyond belief, I placed an order for sizzling beef, my favorite in their menu, as soon as I sat down. My companion took a longer time browsing through the menu before settling on Kimchi fried rice, whatever that was.

JC Café has not changed a lot since my first visit to the restaurant in 2008. After two decades of being everyone’s second kitchen, or kitchen away from your kitchen, they have maintained being everyone’s favorite and expanded their menu and introduced a lot of new dishes.

Allen’s order was served first—a huge red platter of fried rice mixed with vegetables and kimchi, and topped with a sunny side up. My order followed right after, served the way I remember it each time—sizzling hot beef slices with carrots, corn and green chili. It also came with a serving of steamed rice. For the next few minutes, we dug into our food in total silence until I raised my hand in surrender halfway into my meal. Allen tempted me to try his fried rice, but I resisted. I have never ever finished one serving of food from JC Café ever, no matter how hungry I was.

Another popular favorite at JC Café is the breaded shrimp and

the JC signature buttered chicken—crunchy slices of chicken served with finadene sauce for dipping.

JC Café’s menu includes a wide selection of local and international dishes. Choose from Western, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Chamorro and Filipino cuisine which are all available for dine in or take out.

The best thing with JC Café is you never have to wait for them to open or hurry before they close. They are open everyday so you have the option and the luxury of time for a leisurely breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner or even a midnight or early morning meal.

If you just want to hang out, JC Café serves coffee or tea, pearl shakes in different flavors, chocomilk, or sodas. They also have beers you can enjoy if you want to hang around and dance to the latest beats at the dance floor.

At JC Café, it’s not just about eating. It’s also about hanging out and catching up with friends and family in a comfortable setting with a blend of modern and traditional decoration. For smokers, a section with tables and benches outside is set out for you.

A NEW dining destination has opened in Garapan and it not only offers the best seafood dishes you can think of, but will also make you experience dining “under the sea” without the inconveniences that involves.

Kinpachi Restaurant has transformed its souvenir and grocery store into new blue world with a giant dolphin as a centerpiece on a round table at the center of the room.Geraldine Cordero, who manages Kinpachi Seafood, said they opened last week and are already getting a fair share of diners, not only tourists but locals as well.

Local fish with sauce. Photo by Kinpachi Restaurant

Try out Kinpachi’s Seafood specialties such as Dungeness Crab with coconut milk, local reef fish with oyster sauce and lobster roll.

Diners can also order food from Kinpachi Restaurant’s main menu and have it delivered to Kinpachi Seafood.

A small cubicle that seats up to four people offers some sort of privacy for couples who would want to dine in private.

Lobster Roll. Photo by Kinpachi Restaurant

Kinpachi Seafood provides a very relaxing ambiance. Fish and other marine life are painted on the blue walls and ceilings. It’s like being inside a huge aquarium.

The Kinpachi Seafood main entrance is on the Paseo de Marianas across from the Saipan Store, but you can also use Kinpachi Restaurant’s main door on Coral Tree Avenue across from the Fiesta Resort & Spa parking lot.

Kinpachi Seafood can seat up to 90 persons and is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Credit cards are accepted. For inquiries or reservations, call 234-6900.

TRYING out the popular Booya’s Local BBQ has always been in the plan since the restaurant opened its doors last April but the chance never came as they only open for lunch and I rarely eat lunch.

A week ago I learned that Booya’s is already open for dinner and my chance came on Friday. I had skipped breakfast and lunch and it was already past 5 p.m. and I had nothing but a cup of coffee for the whole day and was growing hungrier by the minute when I and my companion entered Booya’s. The tables were still empty as they just opened but already the mouthwatering smells of barbeque wafted to our nostrils, making us hungrier.

The dinner menu for that night was only the Booya’s Slam BBQ set and Booya’s BBQ dish with one choice of meat. I decided on the $7 BBQ set and chose chicken. Other options are pork or beef. My companion decided to try the $15 Slam BBQ set. We didn’t have to wait long. My order was served first after a few minutes, two pieces of grilled chicken thighs with two scoops of red rice, macaroni salad, and dips. I know I can never finish the chicken slices and was planning to share it with my companion when his order arrived—huge slices of BBQ beef and pork ribs, and chicken thighs arranged neatly on a huge platter and came with two scoops of red rice. On a separate plate were slices of titiyas and chicken kelaguen, dips and vegetable salad. If we only knew the Slam BBQ set was already more than enough for the two of us, we would have just ordered an additional serving of rice.

We dug into our food and did not talk for the first few minutes, but after one scoop of rice and the smaller piece of chicken, I had enough. I would have wanted to eat with my hands if I was going home right after and savor the full flavors of the BBQ from my fingers but I had another appointment.

A couple of people came in but just to pick up their orders. Booya’s Local Barbeque is Saipan’s first local style Chamorro barbeque destination that gives you the chance to hold an ‘indoor picnic.’ The restaurant uses long wooden tables and benches to give diners the feeling of being at a real picnic. You can also check out Booya’s daily specials like kelaguen Satdinas served with titiyas, katdun patas, beef pot roast or pork sukiyaki, pork bisteak, Chamorro bistek, golai mongus with ham hock, crispy fried chicken and more local favorites any day of the week.

They also serve Bud Light as well as Coca-Cola products and iced tea.

Booya’s Local BBQ is open open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday. They offer delivery for your food orders. Booya’s Local Barbeque is located across from Mobil Gas Station on Middle Road and beside American Nails. Cash is accepted.